@Neil Hurwitz

Up until now I thought you (Walter) were just an excited fan, techno geek editor and booster. I was trying real hard not listen to the voice on my shoulder. However, judging by the above statement and the use of the word "WE" I must ask you flat out

None of the above. They reached out to me as someone who is respected in the Non Linear Editing community. I'm also one of the four founders of Atlanta Cutters and we met with Marc-André, Marc Hammaker and Ken Larue at our very first meeting when they presented Smoke 2012.

In the ensuing time, Marc-André sent me a copy of Smoke 2012 to get me to try it and offer some input. I basically told him the software was too confusing and way too expensive for me to to truly test it out. Over the past year I've given a bunch of input when Marc-André asked.

So call me an editor whom they reached out to for input. I had zero idea that they were completely redesigning Smoke for the 2013 launch until I saw it a week ago Thursday during a video chat with Marc-André

2.Do you receive any money from them?

No. I receive zero money from any company and quite honestly resent the implication.

As I already mentioned, I received a copy of Smoke 2012 a year ago after their appearance at the Atlanta Cutters meeting which I installed onto my home iMac and never used.

NO Hotels, NO Airfare, NO money, NO meals. ZERO. Where the heck did you get these ideas? I wasn't even working for Autodesk during NAB.

If you followed my blog and / or twitter feed then you would know that I was working for Small Tree Communications during the show. THEY paid for me to be in the booth just like every other vendor at NAB pays for demo artists and professionals to appear in their booths during the show.

I really resent the implication that I'm somehow being paid to promote Smoke for Autodesk. I've never done that and quite honestly, that would violate everything Ron and Kathlyn have built here with the Creative Cow. My honesty is why folks listen to me in the first place. I'm not going to take money to be a spokesperson just to promote a product. That would be idiotic and damage my reputation.

Sorry my enthusiasm for Smoke 2013 rubs you wrong, but this is a truly exciting thing to see a company totally listen to what folks have been asking for for years.